Review of commercial nuclear fusion projects

Abstract

Nuclear fusion technologies have re-gained momentum in the last decade thanks to their disruptive potential in different fields, such as energy production and space propulsion, and to new technological developments, especially high temperature superconductor tapes, which allow overcoming previous performance or design limits. To date, reviews of recent nuclear fusion designs are lacking. Therefore, this paper aims at giving a comprehensive overview of nuclear fusion concepts for industrial applications with a focus on the private sector. The designs are classified according to the three leading concepts for plasma confinement, namely, magnetic confinement, inertial confinement and magneto-inertial confinement. The working principles of the main devices are described in detail to highlight strengths and weaknesses of the different designs. The importance of the public sector on private projects is discussed. The technological maturity is estimated, and the main criticalities for each project are identified. Finally, the geographical distribution of the companies (or public institutions) pursuing the design of fusion devices for commercial applications is reported.

Global Development and Readiness of Nuclear Fusion Technology as the Alternative Source for Clean Energy Supply

“…This diversification enables them to generate short-term profits while working toward long-term goals. Spin-offs allow for the commercial use of intellectual property rights from research and development efforts, providing additional revenue streams for private companies and fostering collaboration between research institutions and industry [85]. Governmental support, especially through energy policies, plays a crucial role in sectors with significant time and capital requirements.…”

“…Governmental support, especially through energy policies, plays a crucial role in sectors with significant time and capital requirements. Government involvement helps mitigate the risks associated with private investments by establishing regulatory frameworks for fusion reactor construction and operation [85]. Engaging with the public and policymakers is vital for technology acceptance, necessitating effective communication of safety-related topics and providing essential information to decision makers [85].…”

Cuprate superconductors for nuclear fusion: shining light on imperfections

“…There is an ongoing global effort to leverage thermonuclear fusion [1]. One approach is to scale down magnetic confinement nuclear fusion reactors by utilizing the benefits of cuprate superconductors [2][3][4][5].…”

Enhancing predictive capabilities in fusion burning plasmas through surrogate-based optimization in core transport solvers

“…As we approach the operation of magnetic confinement burning-plasma experiments [1,2] and as reactor design studies are becoming widespread in the fusion energy community [3][4][5][6], the need for reliable, fast and accurate physics models of the confined plasma becomes essential to realize economically-attractive fusion energy. Particularly, accurate physics models for the transport of energy, particles and momentum in the confined plasma are exceptionally important.…”